Let ’s get this over with : I do n’t hate any Great Lakes state . No , not even Ohio . In fact , I once live in Ohio for eight years , and it was broadly speaking kind of OK … sometimes .
Even though it ’s just a given that Michigan is the swell State of Them All , let ’s talk about some of our lovely lake - side neighbor and their finer quality for a min . And then lease ’s peach about why we ’re better . Michigan is go to go toe - to - toe with each of our lakeside neighbour in a gentle but definitive squelcher . HowMidwesternof us .
Indiana
No offense to Indiana , but allow ’s start with the sweet , characterless home of … Hoosiers ? Whatever aHoosieris , it acquaint no risk to a Wolverine . Indiana has some pretty country in the Confederacy , trilled hills , and cute - as - a - clit college campuses in Bloomington and South Bend . But it ’s also home to the atrocity that is Notre Dame , so it ’s out of the running play for that alone . Meanwhile , we ’ll offer up the lustrous of specimens that is Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan .
Indiana has some lovely beaches , but come on –Sleeping BearDunesis consistently named among the greatest holiday spots in the cosmos for a reason ! Although Indiana ’s Lake Michigan grit dunes do n’t quite heap up to our behemoth , I will yield the province this token : it has a twosome of beach that youcan legally drink on , and that ’s something that gives even the dullest of Great Lakes states a pass .
Wisconsin
Speaking of drinking , let ’s lead nor'-west , to Wisconsin . While Milwaukee moil out trillion of gallons of cheap lagers , Michigan drive the hoppy bar with its guile beer fit . Grand Rapids was vote as " Beer City USA " in home polling two class in a run-in , and for upright reason : the metropolis alone has more than 40 active breweries , with more beer per square mile than basically anywhere else . Michigan has Hopcat , franchisedcraft beer bars , all about teem the best local stuff . On a conceptual level , show me another business that ’s dead booming with a craft- and local - forward-moving outlook , that wants to show off the breweries theentire stateis brewing – Bell ’s , Founders , Arcadia , to name a mere few of the heavy striker . We ’ll take quality over quantity any day .
Badger are a citizenry after my own heart : they love their beer and tall mallow , they have charmingly weird accent , and they make OKpasties , too . Cheese curds are a gift to humanity – where wouldpoutinebe without them ? – and I ’ve consumed more of the Champagne of Beers in my past than I ’d care to let in . But I ’d rather chow down in Grand Marais on Breakwall pasty while sipping from a growler of Lake Superior Brewing brown ale any day .
Illinois
Illinois has Chicago . It ’s vainglorious , it ’s smellier , and the traffic is worse than in Detroit . Like any Michigander , I have been to Chicago my fair portion of times , and the experience has always been rather " meh . " There ’s this one painting in the Art Institute of Chicago that ’s oddly attractive , some Chagall stainglass , and " American Gothic , " the painting of the man and woman who are actually siblings , not spouse as is ordinarily misbelieve . But theDIAis free now , it has one of the largest and most substantial art aggregation of anywhere in the US , and it ’s justly here .
masses might show to Chicago ’s cryptic - dish pizza , which is really just a pizza pie - themed casserole ( Pequod’sbeing the elision to the normal ) . If you want to spill the beans about real deep - dish , however , look no further thanBuddy’sin the D. Put a slice from there and Uno ’s , what most consider to be the most " traditional " of the Chicago pies , on the same collection plate and you ’ll see why Detroit ’s cryptical - beauty will come up out as superior every fourth dimension . Or just letJon Stewartdo it for you .
It does have some greatcocktail cake . plenty of them , in fact . Lost Lake is one of the capital tiki bar I ’ve ever step into ; Violet Hour is regarded as one of the ripe in the country ; and Scofflaw ’s gin - anything will bring me to tears ( along with that free cooky at midnight ) . But as with beer , I ’ll take my Detroit bars , like Sugar House and Katoi , mixing drinks just as good ( if not well than ) any overprice potable you ’ll encounter here . And , now that Detroit ’s catch a Gus ’s Chicken of its very own , there ’s really no demand to venture as far as Illinois , unless you want to go clearly across the United States Department of State and correspond out the Mighty Mississippi , or drive past the very large cross alfresco of Effingham … which , been there , done that .
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Minnesota
Minnesota is middling OK . When I was a kid , I thought I want to move to Minneapolis because ofPrince(RIP ) . That was before I knew that euphony basically only come from four places in the US , and one of those places is Detroit .
Minnesota hasBoundary Waters , and patently normal - sized mosquitoes ( unlike Michigan ’s monstrosities ) . Minnesotans love their lake as much as Michigander do . The fishing there is almost as good as in Michigan .
But their much - hyped 10,000 lake do n’t tally up to a fraction of our Great Lakes coastline . They have one lake that calculate . We have four . Point : Michigan . And when February rolls around , we wo n’t be itching to trade in our plaguey winters with Minnesota ’s burial and glacial ones . No , thanks .
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New York
No , not the city ; the province , which , with coastline on Ontario and Erie , is technically a Great Lake State . Buffalo has that quintessential down - at - the - heels underdog status , which makes that part of the state one of us , at least . It has wing , too … damn good 1 , and for that I am eternally thankful to Buffalo .
That drive , though . Ever drive all the path across the state of New York in mid - winter ? It ’s interminable , abominable , a rooted waste . you’re able to judge the division in New York from lake province to eastern seaboard state by the toll road coffee shop replacement from Tim Horton ’s to Dunkin ' Donuts . It ’s around Utica , in cause you were question .
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania barely squeaks in as a Great Lakes country because it defend tooth and nail 200 + long time ago for a share of coastline . I give them property for scrappiness , and a kayak trip along the Erie shore is a in effect way to whet your appetence before heading to more polite lands – just four hours off , in Detroit .
I admit , I judge a town by its legal profession , and Pittsburgh’sbar picture is on point . Pittsburghers ( it could n’t be Pittsburghites ? Pittsburgundians ? ) are a all right radical of citizenry who get their drink on pretty well . Do n’t get me started on Philadelphia , though , which again is more of an East - Coast matter , with the arrogance and the abrasiveness to prove it . It may beAlways Sunnythere , but slicing up subpar mystery story meat and slapping some cheeseflower on it does not plant quality cuisine .
Ohio
At long last , the great rivalry . Do n’t wait this to be a bombast over football computer programme , because there ’s more to a state than its sports team ( Go Blue , and Sparty On , though ) . Take Hocking Hills , for example . It ’s a magical wonderland ofwaterfalls and rocks to shinny over , and it ’s easy to get to .
Cleveland baffle brokenheartedness as a dirty Rust Belt town , but I ’m from a dirty Rust Belt town , and I got ta say , I love Cleveland . I remain firm up in a wedding at Great Lakes Brewing Company in 96 - degree heat once , but we all trip the light fantastic toe the dark away anyway , and I may or may not still have a couple of nicked pint glasses from there .
The residuum of the state , though ? Could do without it . Ever eaten a plate of Cincinnati - style chili ? Well , do n’t . Spaghetti is involved , and it ’s gross . remain far by from this chili con carne ; it ’s a offence against world . Coney bounder , on the other handwriting , are meat cases of delight .
Visit Milwaukee/Courtesy Central Standard Craft Distillery
In the end , though , the only Great Lake they have is Erie , and everyone knows that ’s the big of them all . Just remember : it caught on fire . Needless to say , I ’m still wary of swimming in that lake .
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